In August, Avary pleaded guilty to gross vehicular manslaughter and drunken driving that killed his passenger. Police reports say Avary's car was traveling at more than 100 mph when it crashed into a telephone pole.

Avary won an Oscar in 1995 for co-writing "Pulp Fiction" with Quentin Tarantino. He also co-wrote "Beowulf" and was the credited sole writer of "Silent Hill."

Zombies, like vampires, are the rock stars of the horror genre. From George A. Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead” to 2004’s “Shaun of the Dead,” zombies have fed our hunger for flesh-eating mayhem.

With the release of “28 Days Later” and “Shaun of the Dead,” the zombie genre has had a makeover. No longer are the zombies slow and almost immovable, they are now fast and furious.

And it’s just not enough that zombie movies are scary. They also can be funny. “Zombieland” fits right in the funny and scary category. Star Woody Harrelson brings the right charisma to make “Zombieland” one of the most entertaining films this year that is a quasi-buddy movie with a road trip angle and a romantic sentiment. Read More...

Your Moviegoing Habits! See Surprising New Study! Do You Still Believe in Movie Critics?

Wednesday, September 30, 2009, 05:13 AMPosted by Manny

Young moviegoers embrace social networks, while older ones are traditional! Common sense right? But wait, it gets interesting. Moviegoers 2010, the first report on moviegoing habits produced by Stradella Road, the entertainment marketing firm founded by former New Line Web guru Gordon Paddison, released a new study about our moviegoing habits.

* Teens (age 13-17) are "all about sharing information and group thinking," the report said, with social networking a critical communication tool. They go to movies in large groups and are heavily influenced by their friends' opinions. They also prefer texting over having phone conversations. More than 70% also surf the Web and text while watching TV, and 67% of them socialize with friends online.

* Twentysomethings (age 18-29) "are digital natives that have grown up with technology" and are more likely to go online for movie info and to share what they think about movies via social networks (58% socialize with friends online). They use the Internet to find any kind of information and place a high value on online consumer reviews and sites that aggregate reviews.

* Auds in their 30s are time-constrained, with parenthood dominating their decisions. They split their moviegoing trips between their children and their spouses. They "spend the highest number of hours online and rep the highest use of technology (Internet, broadband access, DVR ownership and cell phone)." They also view the most recorded TV and skip the most ads via their DVRs.

* Those in their 40s embrace traditional media like magazines and newspapers, with moviegoing dominated by special family occasions and influenced by teens.

* And fiftysomethings avoid crowds, prefer matinees and "skip ads because they think there are too many commercials on TV."

Most films are now considered critic-proof, especially among the younger set, with 84% of moviegoers saying, "When they make up their mind to see a movie, it doesn't matter what the critics say about it." OH REALLY?

Of those surveyed, 75% said they trust a friend's opinion more than a movie critic; 80% said they were more likely to see a movie after hearing a positive review from other moviegoers, while only 67% said a thumbs up from a professional critic had the same weight. THAT MAKES ME FEEL BETTER

The report continues:While 62% now get their reviews online, only auds over 50 rely on newspaper reviews.

So what did we learn boys and girls? You still believe critics, but you go online to learn about the films. Hhhhmmm, hence, this online experiment of mine!